"I still have energy. I still have enthusiasm.
I also feel stronger after this experience," Montella added.
The Italian manager strongly objected to personal hostility directed at players after a small group of fans heckled the team bus in Los Angeles.
"These are the same boys who are here today and who maybe will be here in the future, so I really ask you to respect them," Montella said.
He noted that the hostile reception involved only a tiny minority, while the vast majority of fans remained supportive.
"We had a heckling group of three, four people probably, and now thinking that this is how the whole country feels—this is negative," Montella said.
Montella affirmed that internal harmony among coaching staff, players, and federation leadership remains intact. "I have the support of the president, and this is enough for me.
I have the support of the players, and this is even more important," he stated.
Winger Kenan Yildiz also spoke about the team's statistical dominance despite failing to secure points. "We had the most shots.
We won a lot of duels. Both games, we did our best.
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But statistics don't win the games," Yildiz said.
